&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Administration And
Resources Management
(PM-221D)
EPA/IMSD/91-013
SeptmebeMWi
Selected Management
Articles
Teamwork:
Employee Involvement
PEOPLE
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TEAMWORK: EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT
SEPTEMBER 1991
EPA Headquarters Library
Information Management and Services Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
RoomM2904 PM-211A
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
I. INTRODUCTION 1
II. DEVELOPING/BUILDING A TEAM 5
III. TEAM TRAINING 10
IV. TEAM MANAGEMENT 13
V. TEAMWORK IN ACTION 22
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TEAMWORK: EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT
INTRODUCTION
In times of limited resources, managers must be skilled
in developing staff as key partners in bringing programs
through difficult reassessment phases. Using teams to
evalute and provide solutions to problems in the
workplace has proven an effective use of human and time
resources. Team members view themselves as "change
agents," become more willing to share ideas with
management, and take responsibility for their actions as
a group. Managers must learn to foster and develop teams,
establishing a rapport and a common vision of
improvement.
This bibliography, which is divided into 5 sections,
contains summaries of a variety of articles on team
building. The first section introduces the concept and
advantages of teambuilding. The second section,
"Developing/Building a Team," discusses the methods used
to develop a team and promote teamwork within the
organization. The third section "Team Training," focuses
on training personnel and managers to work effectively as
a team. The fourth section, "Team Management," examines
the ways managers can foster and guide a team in
completing its mission. The last section, "Teamwork in
Action," presents case studies of successful teams.
This report is a selection of articles in management
journals published between 1985 and 1991. A descriptive
abstract is included with each citation. The
bibliography was compiled using the ABI/INFORM. PAI8. and
MANAGEMENT CONTENTS online databases from DIALOG.
There is more information available in the Headquarters
Library on other aspects of quality management. An EPA
librarian can assist in identifying other titles for
further research. To obtain additional copies of this
bibliography, or copies of the articles listed in this
bibliography, contact Sigrid N. Smith, Reference
Librarian, EPA Headquarters Library, (202) 260-5922, or
Email address Library HQ/EPA3738. Other EPA Headquarters
Library management bibliographic reports are listed at
the end of this bibliography.
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I INTRODUCTION
Involvement and Commitment in the Workplace: A New Ethic Evolving
Green, F. B.; Hatch, Eric
Advanced Management Journal v55n4 PP: 8-12 Autumn 1990
The key to high commitment is employee involvement (El). El
consists of: 1. goal orientation, 2. continual improvement, 3.
valued partnerships, 4. high expectations, 5. mutual respect, 6.
shared decision making, 7. team recognition, 8. extensive training,
9. job flexibility, and 10. support by managers and supervisors.
Ethical considerations have played a minor role in this emerging
phenomenon. The primary catalyst has been a recognition that the
Japanese model of group problem solving and team consensus has been
enormously effective in Japan and in US plants managed by Japanese
executives. Many of the interactions enabling employees to function
as successful team members are the same as those found and valued
in close-knit communities and families. Companies seeking to attain
a high level of commitment from their workforce are able to do so
only when they: 1. genuinely value workers' contributions, 2.
eliminate barriers of hierarchy and rank, 3. develop an atmosphere
of trust, 4. invest heavily in training, and 5. empower their
employees to improve and control their own work. (ABI/INFORM)
Innovative Teams at Work
Anderson, Neil; Hardy, Gillian; West, Michael
Personnel Management v22n9 PP: 48-53 Sep 1990
Many organizations have survived the 1970s and 1980s by
responding to the demands of external change in an unplanned
manner. But the 1990s look set to impose an increased burden that
will necessitate more proactive and strategic human resource
management (HRM) approaches toward coping with change. One central
technique in the repertoire of coping mechanisms is that of self-
generated innovation and creativity from within the organization.
The process of conceptualization, development, and implementation
of new and improved work practices and products constitutes an
essential means of responding proactively to external change. Yet,
capacities for innovation within organizations at both the
individual and work group levels are too often undeveloped and
undervalued. Research by Sheffield University is revealing key
elements in innovation processes that have important implications
for the role of HRM specialists in developing creativity and
innovation. Four factors have consistently surfaced in both private
and public sectors as key determinants of group innovativeness:
vision, participative safety, climate for excellence, and support
for innovation. (ABI/INFORM)
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Managing Hunan Assets -It's Tine For Mew Thinking.
Beer, M.; Specter, B.A.
Harvard University , Cambridge, MA, 02138
Office Administration and Automation Vol.46, No.3, March 1985,
P. 26-29,60. 4 Pages.
Recession, deregulation, and foreign competition have caused
business managers to search for ways to improve productivity and
quality. The Japanese management approach to a collaborative
relationship with employees and unions has resulted in quality and
cost advantages over American companies. Many attempts to improve
productivity fall short because employees are not committed or
competent. Some American companies have invested in the development
of effective human resource management practices, with dramatic
payoffs in quality and productivity. New thinking provides
employees with equitable pay, challenging work, participation in
decisions and policies, and opportunity for personal growth. The
new approach is particularly important for managers of white collar
workers who work with information technology. Innovative companies
are moving toward increasing employee influence by forming employee
task forces and committees to study various problems and recommend
approaches and new policies. Innovative companies use team building
to deal with human resource flow, reward systems and work systems,
and to accept responsibility for tasks and meeting goals.
Photographs of Point 4 Data Corp. and On-Line Software
International are included. A diagram represents tools for employee
development. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
The Power of Applied Principles
Zenger, John H.
Executive Excellence v8n2 PP: 18-19 Feb 1991
Skill training alone will not bring about the lasting changes in
attitudes and behavior required for teamwork. A special combination
of principles and skills brings about enduring change. People need
clear, strategic principles to assist them in applying their
skills. Behavior modeling combines positive behavioral principles
with practical ways to put them in action. At Zenger-Miller Inc.,
training systems are developed from basic principles such as: 1.
focusing on the issue or situation, not on the person, 2.
maintaining the self-esteem of others, 3. building positive working
relationships, 4. taking initiative to make things better, and 5.
leading by example. These principles command immediate, almost
universal, assent in training rooms because they reflect commonly
held beliefs. Later, when participants acquire concrete skills,
their actions and beliefs are harmonized. (ABI/INFORM)
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Team Effectiveness Theory.
Weisbord, M.B., Block Petrella Weisbord ,
Training & Development Journal Vol.39, No.l, Jan. 1985, P. 27-29.
3 Pages.
A look at the team approach to successful business working is
presented. The idea of team work and how it affects the workers is
explained. How to go about setting up a team building meeting to
decide if team work will be feasible in the work place is
discussed. How to guide employees to become team members and
cooperate fully with one another is also discussed.
(MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Teamwork: A Delicate Balance - (Part 1)
Holden, Lorraine P.
Managers Magazine v65n6 PP: 12-19 Jun 1990
Today, workers seek employment that fits and conforms to who
they are. They expect a reciprocity that permits them to do what
they do best so that they feel fulfilled. This new breed of worker
wants to be prized, creative, and part of a community.
Participative management or teamwork brings out in people those
characteristics they want to exhibit and that the marketplace
demands. Any easy, visual tool to help understand what makes
winning teams what they are can be found in a mobile, which is
responsive, balanced, synergistic, interdependent, and accessible.
Job ownership is an important part of building winning teams. With
job ownership, people have responsibility, initiative, and power in
their workplaces. They view themselves as "change agents" whose
contributions influence outcomes. Synergy and teamwork can be
developed by giving employees real leadership responsibilities,
recognizing and rewarding them for excellence, encouraging personal
development, using people's talents and skills, and establishing
genuine feelings of cooperation between workers and managers.
(ABI/INFORM)
Teamwork: A Delicate Balance (Part II)
Holden, Lorraine P.
Managers Magazine v65n7 PP: 19-21 Jul 1990
Management consultants have identified 3 progressive stages in
team development: 1. dependency, 2. more independence, and 3.
interdependence. When it tried to develop a strong team-oriented
approach to policyowner service, a major life insurance company
reported that employees went through the following 4 phases as the
program progressed: 1. What can you do for me? 2. What can I do for
me? 3. What can I do for you? 4. What can we do together? In team
building, managers are encouraged to select people who are already
motivated. Three of the 10 characteristics identified by the Life
Insurance Marketing and Research Association as predictive of agent
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succcess are people-oriented skills: 1. the ability to accurately
perceive others' points of view, needs, and interests, 2. the
ability to instill confidence in others, and 3. the ability to work
on one's own without close supervision. These abilities nurture a
team and are nurtured by team members. (ABI/INFORM)
Teamwork: A Delicate Balance (Part III)
Holden, Lorraine P.
Managers Magazine v65n8 PP: 29-32 Aug 1990
A primary cause of problems in the workplace is poor
communication. Communication is needed to articulate a vision,
solve a problem, create a solution, delegate a responsibility, or
resolve a conflict. Most important, communication makes teamwork
possible. Well-developed communication skills facilitate the
interaction and interdependency between team members. In a team
setting, managers must be prepared to be role models of effective
communications skills and be sensitive to the individual strengths
and weaknesses represented on the team. Team meetings are both an
arena in which communication takes place and a vehicle through
which communication is encouraged. Strategies for carrying out
tasks as a team include: 1. defining the task, 2. seeking
information and opinions, 3. elaborating, 4. coordinating efforts,
5. summarizing, and 6. experimenting. Strategies for encouraging
team members to work together include setting standards, listening,
emphasizing strengths, evaluating, and passing on leadership.
(ABI/INFORM)
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II. DEVELOPING/BUILDING A TEAM
Breaking Down Barriers - Part I: Inter-Departmental Team Building
Berger, Mel
Industrial & Commercial Training v23nl PP: 24-30 1991
To break down barriers to teamwork, managers can start with the
individual or with the formal organization structure and roles.
Some techniques are: 1. bottleneck analysis, a method for
exchanging views about how other departments function and see the
world, 2. the team role questionnaire, which illustrates how each
person can contribute to problem solving at one phase or another,
and 3. role negotiation, which involves each team member
negotiating with each other team member about changes in behavior
or procedures that would aid in doing the job better. Temporary
structures, such as task forces, quality circles, and project
teams, bring together people from different disciplines to address
common issues. This approach can be a powerful tool for obtaining
quality decisions, commitment to action, and cross-departmental
network building. (ABI/INFORM)
Breaking Down Barriers - Part II: Inter-Departmental Team Building
Berger, Mel
Industrial & Commercial Training v23n2 PP: 7-11 1991
A case study illustrates the use of several techniques for
developing interdepartmental and interlevel collaboration. To
complement technical improvements, training was carried out
involving 30 section leaders, followed by training 20 supervisors
and 8 managers. The result of this training was more cohesive
departmental teams and greater cooperation between departments.
Guidelines for using team-building techniques include: 1. If time
urgency permits, start by building awareness. 2. Start where people
are most likely to be receptive, where one can achieve initial
success and build momentum. 3. To increase the probability that
desired changes are implemented, develop a network of people with
independent roles who are actively committed to tackling mutual
problems or are accepting of the initiatives of others. 4. To
facilitate the genuine discussion among employees of differing
status, be prepared to listen and compromise. (ABI/INFORM)
Teaching People to Act on Information
Moran, John W.; Talbot, Richard P.
National Productivity Review v9n4 PP: 429-438 Autumn 1990
In the 1990s, the basis of the work environment will evolve from
individual contributor roles to collaborative, joint ownership and
shared responsibility. This change will manifest itself in the form
of self-contained work teams. To facilitate high-performance
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teamwork within and among these teams, a significant cultural
change must take place. Teams will have to learn new skills to
empower them to work together effectively to accomplish their
missions. Before individuals can ensure customer satisfaction by
working well together, they must learn to act on information that
they gather or that is presented to them. In order to do this, they
must: 1. translate information into a universally understood
format, 2. consolidate information to summarize the data through
descriptive statistics, and 3. communicate information in a timely
and accurate way. Graphic displays of information, such as
flowcharts, selection grids, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto
charts, and pie charts, can facilitate analysis and ensure proper
actions. (ABI/INFORM)
Outward Bound: Strategies for Team Survival in an Organization
Ancona, Deborah Gladstein
Academy of Management Journal v33n2 PP: 334-365 Jun 1990
Team-context interaction was examined in 5 consulting teams.
Data collection focused on team leaders* plans right after the
teams were formed, team interactions with outsiders, and internal
group processes and outcomes. The data revealed 3 strategies toward
the teams' environment: 1. informing, 2. parading, and 3. probing.
Informing teams remained relatively isolated from their
environments, parading teams had high levels of passive observation
of the environment, and probing teams actively engaged outsiders.
Probing teams revised their knowledge of the environment through
external contact, initiated programs with outsiders, and promoted
their team's achievements within their organization. They were
rated as the highest performers among the teams; however, member
satisfaction and cohesiveness suffered in the short run. The
results suggested that external activities are better predictors of
team performance than are internal group processes for teams facing
external dependence. (ABI/INFORM)
Are You Really Ready to Build a Project Team?
Kezsbom, Deborah S.
Industrial Engineering v22nlO PP: 50-55 Oct 1990
A critical element in the achievement of higher levels of team
performance is the creation of organizational environments and
strategies that encourage teamwork. Where ordinary teams accept and
value a plan as an end in itself, successful, high-performance
teams value the process of planning and see the plan merely as a
tool or means to an end. Recommended steps in the integrated
planning and team building process are: 1. Create a positive
climate. 2. Establish a common vision. 3. Define individual roles
clearly. 4. Develop a sense of interdependency, and establish
precedence relationships. 5. Identify the trade-offs and the risks.
Effective team performance comes from creating an environment in
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which team players work together under a unity of purpose.
(ABI/INFORM)
Eov to Build a Quality-Conscious Team
Scheuing, Eberhard E.
Supervisory Management v35nl PP: 6 Jan 1990
The effort to build quality consciousness in a workgroup should
start with the understanding that quality involves consistently
meeting or exceeding customer needs or expectations. Achieving this
kind of performance standard requires continuous effort and
constant vigilance. A number of steps can be taken to ensure that
everyone becomes part of the quality improvement process: 1. Hold
a participatory session to discuss quality. 2. Have the team
identify its performance strengths and weaknesses. 3. Discuss the
importance of quality and its benefits, such as reduced costs, the
elimination of rework, improved profitability, and greater pride.
4. Build quality commitment by giving team members "ownership" of
the effort. 5. Establish quality goals. 6. Remove inhibitions or
barriers to improving quality. 7. Assist team members in efforts to
change. 8. Control the work process. 9. Measure achievements. 10.
Reward progress and correct weaknesses. 11. Review and set new
goals. 12. Keep the momentum going. (ABI/INFORM)
Building Teams - What works (Sometimes)
Wolff, Michael F.
Research-Technology Management v32n6 PP: 9-10 Nov/Dec 1989
One of the Industrial Research Institute's advanced study
groups, led by Alvin P. Lehnerd, vice-president for research,
design, and product development at Steelcase Inc., devoted 2 days
to the discussion of teams and their interaction with the rest of
the company. A number of principles that were laid out included: 1.
Choosing the proper leader is critical. 2. A core group of 6-8
people who possess technical or business knowledge that contributes
to the team's mission should be established. 3. Teams must
understand clearly what they are expected to do and when. 4. Teams
must believe that their assignment is important to the company and
that what they do will make a difference. 5. Accountability is key.
6. Teams should be rewarded publicly. 7. Criteria for disbanding
should be part of the initial charter. 8. Prospective members
should be aware of how much time teams take. Several managers
agreed that bringing different perspectives to bear was a plus for
innovation. By following the above guidelines, even a company that
has not encouraged teams before can form an effective team.
(ABI/INFORM)
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Twelve Ways to Better Team Building
Belzer, Ellen J.
Working Woman vl4n8 PP: 12, 14 Aug 1989
The team concept is compelling as a management tool. Managers
can use a variety of tactics to inspire a sense of oneness among
team members, including: 1. creating a group identity, 2. mapping
out a team mission, 3. defining roles, 4. encouraging networking,
5. encouraging play time, 6. using humor,,and 7. developing an open
atmosphere. Meeting informally with each member of the group before
the project begins also is helpful for determining personal
agendas, which always affect the outcome of a project, in advance.
Giving the team a formal name will create a group identity and
cause people to perceive their tasks and the goals of the team as
significant. When a group gets together only formally, it often is
difficult to develop the appropriate group dynamics; thus, lunches,
dinners, and social events should be planned as well. Further, it
is important to share information. Background on a project,
including why it is a priority and what impact it will have on the
company, always should be shared with the entire group.
(ABI/INFORM)
A Task-Focused Approach To Team Building.
Davidson, J.P.
Personnel Vol.62, No.3, March 1985, P. 16-18.
Building a team that works in harmony and cooperation is not
easy. A task focused program is an approach consisting of seven
weekly two hour sessions. Between four and seven people are
selected from a work unit. The team identifies general areas where
work problems exist. They clarify team goals, and each member
clarifies his or her goals. The team develops a team mission
statement. In subsequent sessions, the team addresses obstacles,
problems, agreements among members of the team, work conflicts,
individual goals and progress. This process is effective because
participants put energy into achieving the team's mission.
Individual responsibilities are stressed and contribution to team
success is acknowledged. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Designing a winning project team.
Gemmell, Virginia
Supervisory Management v34 April, 1989, p26(3)
The leader of a project team must develop an overall vision that
will encourage the input of team personnel and alleviate
uncertainty over mission goals. A team should be made up of
personnel of different backgrounds offering a wide range of
experience and ensuring the cooperation of represented departments.
Additionally, the team leader should name and manage roles in order
to clarify the team's work and to empower personnel with
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responsibility. Team leaders must demonstrate commitment to team
members, pay attention to the content of what the team is working
on and continually monitor the way personnel are working towards
project goals. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Tarkenton on teambuilding.
Management Solutions v31 Oct, 1986, p30(2)
Fran Tarkenton, former quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings and
current chief executive of the consulting firm of Tarkenton & Co.,
believes that team work and people skills are more important
management attributes than technical expertise and business
knowledge. Tarkenton's firm counts among its clients such industry
giants as General Motors, Exxon, and American Express. Team
building relies upon defining a goal for the team, soliciting ideas
from team members and avoiding dictating to the team, while
maintaining some supervisory control. Teams work best when all team
members are unconcerned as to who gets credit for the team's
success. It is also vital to the success of the team for leaders to
concentrate on solving conflicts between team members.
(MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
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III. TEAM TRAINING
Building and using teams.
Pell, Arthur R.
Managers Magazine v66 April, 1991, p25(2)
Most work involves the use of teamwork, and a successful team
can be developed by following the TEAM concept, which stands for
training, enthusiasm, assurance, and measurement. Training should
be used to inform employees about the advantages of teamwork. Team
members must be enthusiastic about the idea of working together,
and they should be assured that they will be given support by
management. Finally, goals should be established and measured. The
problems to avoid include excessive competitiveness and inequality
in employee productivity. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Orientation: the first step in team-building.
Cohen, Madeline E.
Training & Development Journal v42 Jan, 1988, p20(3)
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation operates an employee orientation
process that makes the new employee feel at home and part of a team
from the start. An important part of this is the training of
supervisors to conduct orientation. The supervisors participate in
a role-playing scenario that simulates the new employee's and
supervisor's team positions. The supervisor and new employee should
discuss the organizational structure and how the department fits
into it; self-improvement opportunities in the organization; the
organization's communication system; resource people within the
organization; and the assignment of a mentor to the new employee.
(ABI/INFORM)
Project Team Training: A Proven Key to Organizational Teamwork and
a Breakthrough in Planning Performance
Rogers, Lloyd A.
Project Management Journal v21n2 PP: 9-18 Jun 1990
The problems experienced in project management are examined, and
the opportunities that can be gained in solving those problems
through training project management planning teams in a commercial
product development laboratory and manufacturing plant environment
are provided. A proven methodology is presented for project
schedule planning from a project life cycle phase structure. In
addition, an explanation is provided for how to organize the
planning team, how to use structured methods to develop and
optimize the plan, and how to control the implementation process
through continuous future checkpoint planning. A distinction is
made between success and failure based on personal experience at
IBM Corp. in managing projects and conducting project schedule
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planning workshops for actual project management teams in a wide
range of functional organizations. The keys to success in project
schedule management are provided. (ABI/INFORM)
Improving Organisation Effectiveness Through Employee Involvement
Portis, Bernard; Hill, Neil
Business Quarterly v53n3 PP: 58-61 Winter 1989
A survey was conducted of 20 Canadian companies with employee
involvement programs. It was found that several companies have
become very innovative in running the programs, and, as a result,
the programs have become more satisfactory to employees and
management. The survey found that most of the companies made
employee teamwork and training the focus of their involvement
programs. A major innovation in some companies was that training in
solving work problems had been extended to all work groups, not
just a few quality circles. Most of the companies were attempting
to get managers to participate more actively in employee
involvement programs, and some had formed interdepartmental task
forces of managers and employees. A surprising finding was that
employees in some unionized companies had assumed responsibility
for running involvement groups. Nearly all the programs in the
survey had excellent coordination from their steering committees
and program facilitators. (ABI/INFORM)
Training for Team Building
Huszczo, Gregory E.
Training & Development Journal v44n2 PP: 37-43 Feb 1990
The US became an economic power by encouraging managers to be
directive and even autocratic, but now, employee commitment must
become more important than control and compliance. In recent years,
organizations have used small work teams as a basic tool for
reenergizing workforces and gaining employee commitment. Many
strategies are needed to transform a traditionally run organization
into a team-oriented one. One popular approach is to provide
training, which can be the key to the development of a team
concept, although certain deficiencies are apparent in the typical
team-training approaches. Some flaws in training for team concept
include: 1. confusing team building with teamwork, 2. viewing teams
as closed systems, 3. starting team training without assessing team
needs, 4. treating team building as a Japanese management
technique, 5. assuming that teams are basically alike, 6. treating
team building as a program rather than a process, and 7. not
holding teams accountable for what they learn in team training.
Training can move teams toward greater effectiveness, thereby
reestablishing the corporate US as a primary economic power.
(ABI/INFORM)
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Training in Team and Consensus Building
Nanda, Ravinder
Management Solutions V31n9 PP: 31-36 Sep 1986
Clear communication of goals, instructions, and ideas in a work
group is a step toward team building, and open and clear
communication is the foundation of group consensus. One supervisory
training exercise that facilitates these skills is based on the
belief that the performance of supervisors and their workers is
influenced by perceptions of each other's roles and
responsibilities. Supervisory participants are divided into 2
groups. The role model exercise involves 5 phases: l. Individuals
in the groups prepare lists describing areas of responsibility for
which they are held accountable. 2. Each group selects a leader who
elicits items from participants' lists, compiling them into a
larger list of job responsibility. 3. Each group agrees on the 5
most important items related to each job, and individual lists are
compared with those prepared by consensus. 4. Both groups share
their lists and findings. 5. Supervisors prepare action lists. An
example is provided of the methodology put to use in training
supervisory personnel. (ABI/INFORM)
Training in Team-Building
Maude, Barry
Industrial & Commercial Training v!2nll PP: 460-462 Nov 1980
The effective manager is the one who has the capability of
organizing winning teams. Team building involves: 1. sharing
information with the team, 2. discussing job problems, and 3.
developing a consensus view on how the problems should be handled.
Characteristics of successful teams include common objectives,
group identity, and open communication. Management seminars offer
the best opportunity for building and reinforcing the team concept.
Training methods for building effective teams include: 1. action-
centered leadership, 2. transactional analysis, 3. interaction
analysis, 4. intergroup training, and 5. organization development
(OD) . OD theory states that overlapping groups constitute basic
building blocks of the firm and that improvements in organizational
performance can be gained by improving the way managers work
together as teams. OD itself has as its central focus
organizational change, and its use fosters development of the team
concept, given the fact that team skills are required by all
managers. (ABI/INFORM)
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IV. TEAM MANAGEMENT
How to Get Your Group to Perform Like a Team
Blanchard, Kenneth *
Executive Excellence v7n7 PP: 18-19 Jul 1990
Managers report that 60% to 90% of their time is usually spent
in group activities, adding that much of that time is wasted.
Getting a group to perform like a team initially means getting the
group to focus on producing results. Team members will produce
better results if they first visualize how the group will work
together. There are 7 characteristics that summarize the desired
behaviors necessary for a group to become a high-performance team:
1. purpose, 2. empowerment, 3. relationships and communication, 4.
flexibility, 5. optimal productivity, 6. recognition and
appreciation, and 7. morale. Of the 7, optimal productivity and
morale are the most important. The group's level of productivity
and morale is shaped by specific behaviors that may be performed by
any member of the group and should be shared by all. The behaviors
must either provide direction (to increase productivity) or provide
support (to increase morale). Direction can best be given in 3
forms: structure, control, and supervision. Team members can
support each other by praising, listening, and facilitating.
(ABI/INFORM)
Management: 12 Ways to Rev Dp Your Team
Gregg, Elaine
Black Enterprise v21n4 PP: 85-86 Nov 1990
Leadership, not just good management, is necessary to revitalize
and inspire a demoralized or unmotivated staff. Twelve suggestions
for managers are: 1. Develop a mission statement and review
management's vision of where the company needs to go in the future.
2. Translate this vision into action. 3. Establish an open-door
policy to build an atmosphere of confidence and trust. 4. Encourage
staff members to take risks. 5. If a project fails and upper level
management is critical, stand up for the department and work
together to resolve the problem. 6. Encourage idea-sharing. 7. Be
aware of what is happening in the office, and be sensitive to any
disruptive influences. 8. Create an informal atmosphere. 9. Reward
excellent work. 10. Use discipline when necessary. 11. Encourage
camaraderie. 12. Be a good communicator and demand commitment to
the job. (ABI/INFORM)
12 Tips for Better Team Meetings
Tagliere, Daniel A.
Journal for Quality & Participation PP: 64-67 Dec 1990
The teamwork process is used most often and in its most
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sophisticated form in such activities as strategic planning,
organizational development, and marketing and project planning or
some variety of problem solving, quality improvement, or
productivity enhancement. It is possible to utilize the full
creative and critical thinking resources of every team member and
obtain the best possible results both during and after meetings.
Some suggestions for better team meetings are: 1. Believe that
teams can and will work together productively. 2. Take time to know
your teammates -their values, thinking, and styles of
communicating. 3. Organize the team, and address the means of
decision making. 4. Manage team meetings. 5. Control team
assignments. 6. Communicate effectively. 7. Use appropriate
procedures for team assignments. 8. Structure idea generation and
decision making. 9. Keep interpersonal processes positive. 10.
Employ the best available meeting environment and technology. 11.
Acknowledge, evaluate, and grow. 12. Enjoy teamwork with pride.
(ABI/INFORM)
Hov Delegation Can Lead Your Team to Victory
Calano, Jimmy; Salzman, Jeff
Working Woman v!4n8 PP: 86-87, 95 Aug 1989
Guiding a team to victory requires having the right talent and
managing it well. Guidelines for making better delegation decisions
include: 1. Keep a dossier on each team member. 2. Identify the
"people people" and the "project people." 3. Occasionally give
people assignments that are outside their areas of expertise so
that they will become more versatile and feel more challenged. 4.
Read between the lines. 5. Test out a rookie. 6. When faced with a
deadline, give it to the "game breaker," the one person on the
staff who never lets the leader down. 7. Ask for volunteers. 8.
Turn assignments into treats. 9. Use delegation to build teamwork.
Teams should consist of fairly equal numbers of "project people"
and "people people." By balancing forces, detail people are meshed
with big-picture people and the result is a combination of team
consciousness and cooperation skills among all of the people.
(ABI/INFORM)
The Homework Behind Teamwork
Cox, Allan
Industry Week v240nl PP: 21-23 Jan 7, 1991
Teams that are truly value-added to their organizations are
those committed to a set of core values that ensure quality
performance. Among these core values are the following concepts: 1.
Today's management style is of necessity one of quickened response.
2. The need to belong is a powerful human force that finds
expression in teamwork. 3. Consensus-seeking is a time-wasting,
leveling influence that impedes distinctive performance. 4. The
authentic state of humanity is union, and, ironically, this state
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enhances one's uniqueness. 5. Belief in humanity as social beings
is a lofty one and is best authenticated by down-to-earth
performance. Chief executive officers must become steeped in these
values if they are to lead their own teams properly and filter the
values throughout their enterprises. (ABI/INFORM)
High Performance Team Management
Harris, Philip R.; Harris, Dorothy L.
Leadership & Organization Development Journal v!0n4 PP: 28-32 1989
Teamwork involves sharing ability, energy, and leadership and
playing multiple roles. For top project performance, team managers
and members must learn a combination of competencies. High
performance in such teams can be ensured by providing both
technical and interpersonal training. Technical skills in project
management usually utilize task behaviors. The acquisition of
interpersonal skills in the practice of maintenance behavior often
can be obtained by building teams regularly. An East-West Center
investigation in Honolulu, Hawaii, by Moran and Harris (1982) found
that cross-cultural differences can be used to create synergy in
international teams. The results showed that the more multiple
roles of a team are understood, the better the group's performance
will be. A study by Mottram (1982) identified 8 distinctive styles
or roles: 1. the chairperson, 2. the shaper, 3. the innovator, 4.
the company worker, 5. the monitor evaluator, 6. the team worker,
7. the resource investigator, and 8. the completer. Blending these
8 roles usually results in high performance. (ABI/INFORM)
Managing High-Performance Teams
McCann, Dick; Margerison, Charles
Training & Development Journal v43nll PP: 52-60 Nov 1989
Tomorrow's managers will be leaders of teams; they must
understand team dynamics and how to steer their teams toward high
performance. Managers and leaders of teams can be successful only
if they completely understand differences between team members.
Only by understanding and managing those differences can teams work
through their conflicts and link themselves together in coherent
units. It should be recognized that different work functions exist,
such as innovating, producing, and inspecting, and that people
differ in their work preferences. The Team Management Wheel helps
identify the correlation between functions and preferences. For
example, people who fall into the explorer-promoter section of the
wheel are excellent at taking ideas and promoting them to others.
Reporter-advisers represent the classic advisory role on the wheel.
The hub of the wheel is the linker, which is often the main role of
the team leader. Examples of successful implementation of the Team
Management Wheel are provided. (ABI/INFORM)
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Recognizing genuine teamwork.
Prince, George
Supervisory Management v34 April, 1989, p25(7)
Team work is an effective way to produce results, and
supervisors can use techniques to create work groups that truly
work together to reach goals. Collaborative teams are characterized
by a flow of information between team members and a democratic
spirit where each team member has the responsibility and authority
to offer corrections and ideas. Leaders who put teams together must
convey to team goals and define types of behavior conducive to
teamwork. Leaders must also offer positive affirmation and
validation of other team members and encourage each member of the
team to take responsibility for promoting teamwork. (MANAGEMENT
CONTENTS)
Motives, Selection, and Support: What Management Can Do to Make
Sure a Team Fails
Morris, Richard M., III
Industrial Management v33n2 PP: 2-3 Mar/Apr 1991
There is a basic question that must be correctly answered and
agreed upon by those concerned before establishing a team,
regardless of whether it is temporary or permanent: is the team
being organized to analyze a problem and make a specific
recommendation for subsequent implementation or is it being
established so that the question being reviewed can be avoided? The
answer will determine the way the team is organized, the selection
of the members, and the delegation of specific authority. Once a
decision has been made to establish a team, the basic
organizational issues must be identified and resolved. These
include a definition of the team's purpose, structure, authority,
resources, key objectives, and time frame. The establishment of
definable, measurable goals and objectives is critical for the team
and its individual members, who must be able to work together.
(ABI/INFORM)
The Project Manager as Team Builder: Creating an Effective Team
Todryk, Lawrence
Project Management Journal v21n4 PP: 17-22 Dec 1990
The design and construction of small to large projects presents
a unique opportunity for the project manager (PM) to learn how to
manage projects more effectively. Because PMs face an increase in
the number of variables they must address, the probability of cost
overruns, delayed schedules, and poor project authority and
leadership is increased as well. Team productivity and
effectiveness is impacted by change. The PM's ability to create an
effective team is essential in responding to accelerated changes in
technology, social attitudes, and human values. Leadership is the
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most important factor in establishing and maintaining quality work
and effective teamwork. In an effective team, synergy is created
that will address the challenges of the team. To implement a team-
building process, a PM must have an understanding of human
relationship skills and group dynamics. Benefits and rewards of
team building include: 1. increased quality of work and decisions,
and 2. increased collective team strength, resulting in a greater
ability to complete projects on time. (ABI/INFORM)
Reducing job stress through team building and positive management.
Lau, Barbara
Management Quarterly v29 Fall, 1988, p26(4)
Research by Newsweek and Business Week reveal that in 1988 US
workers filed the highest number of job-stress worker's
compensation claims to date, making up 14% of all occupational
disease claims. This represents a huge jump from the less than 5%
of claims in 1980 that were similar. The most common reason for
work-related stress is job insecurity and threat of job loss.
Management can reduce the effects of job stress by developing
stress management programs and by encouraging team-building and
positive management skills. Managers who gain better listening
skills and who can learn to criticize in a positive way will help
to reduce stress in the workplace. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Reducing job stress through team building and positive management
part II. (part 2 of 2)
Lau, Barbara
Management Quarterly v29 Winter, 1988, p!3(4)
Adopting a radial teamwork structure and an employee reciprocity
policy can increase employee effectiveness and reduce job stress.
Radial teamwork uses small, task oriented group clusters instead of
the traditional hierarchy in order to enhance communication,
feedback, and problem solving. An employee reciprocity policy
involves analyzing the interaction of employees and management in
order to assure that employees are being treated fairly.
(MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
How to Improve Team Management
Margerison, Charles J.; McCann, Dick
Leadership & Organization Development Journal vlOnS PP: 4-42 1989
Part of a manager's job is to ensure that workers perform as a
team, with all members contributing to identifying and solving
problems. Essential to that process are: 1. a winning attitude, 2.
identification with team purpose and aims, 3. a manager's regular
informal contact with members, 4. agreed agendas before meetings,
5. good minutes for meetings, 6. the charting of performance
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results, 7. constructive meetings, 8. team briefings that allow 2-
way communication, 9. the effective management of differences of
opinion, 10. the identification of work preferences, 11. creativity
sessions, 12. realistic budgets, 13. specified authority and
accountability for members, 14. the recording of ideas in a visual
format, 15. challenging targets, 16. team reviews, 17. systematic
problem solving, 18. the identification and correction of
demotivation sources, 19. team communication, 20. the
identification of external competition, 21. skilled linking, 22.
output measurement, 23. attention to energy indicators, 24. team
development, and 25. a supportive atmosphere. The essence of
effective teamwork is top team management. (ABI/INFORM)
Rewarding Technical Teamwork
Mower, Judith c.; Wilemon, David
Research-Technology Management v32n5 PP: 24-29 Sep/Oct 1989
The future of technology management belongs to teamwork because
technologies and markets have grown too complex for the individuals
working alone. The biggest obstacle to teamwork is that the
professional schools, the academic sciences that turn out the
technical specialists, and the organizations where they are
employed still reward individual achievement more emphatically than
a team effort. As part of a larger study focusing on the management
of technical teams, more than 70 team leaders and members were
interviewed. A vast majority responded negatively to the question
of what team rewards they had experienced. If management wants to
establish a desirable pattern of behavior, the action must be
rewarded. Four basic reward principles that combine psychological
notions with research findings are: 1. It is the recognition that
counts, so long as the financial rewards are enough. 2. Intrinsic
motivation must be recognized and supported. 3. It is important to
reward teams and the individuals in them, but the focus should be
on the teams. 4. Team managers must be sensitive to their role as
dispensers of rewards. (ABI/INFORM)
Teamwork starts at the top.
Serpa, Roy
Chief Executive (U.S.) April, 1991, p30(4)
The effectiveness of teamwork in an organization depends on the
ability of top executives to work together. However, many corporate
cultures encourage individuality and competitiveness, and there is
a lack of teamwork at the executive level in many organizations.
CEOs of corporations should promote an atmosphere of trust among
top executives for teamwork to be effective. Senior executives*
examples of the importance of teamwork will demonstrate to
subordinates that cooperation will be rewarded. The steps that CEOs
can take to establish teamwork as an organizational value include
basing portions of performance appraisals on the ability to work as
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a team, encouraging executives to support one another, and
resolving conflicts through problem-solving sessions.
(MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Empowering your team members.
Rinke, Wolf J.
Supervisory Management v34 April, 1989, p2l(4)
Supervisors who want to improve employee motivation can utilize
six guidelines. The guidelines suggest that supervisors must listen
to employees, show concern for their welfare, emphasize employee
strengths, reward accomplishments, and treat employees as important
team members. Extensive training is necessary to build employee
skills, effectiveness, and confidence, but supervisors that
communicate corporate goals and build employee skills will give
workers a sense of corporate responsibility, awareness, and
teamwork abilities. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
HRI8 quality depends on teamwork.
Fischer, Robert L.
Personnel Journal v70 April, 1991, p47(4)
Human resources professionals managing the implementation of
human resources information systems can avoid falling behind
schedule by focusing on the process of the implementation rather
than solely on objectives. Project team members should include a
project leader with good management skills, software technicians,
and managers who understand the functional requirements of the
systems. In-process quality control steps include additional sign-
on guidelines for element specifications designated important in
advance, preliminary or partial user testing at various phases of
the process, and third-party reviews of systems specifications. Any
quality control measures being implemented will require a change in
the attitudes of management and those employees responsible for
specifications development. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Nurturing the teamwork culture: internal customer service.
Pastor, Joan; Gechtman, Risa
Supervisory Management v36 April, 1991, plO(l)
The most effective technique for creating and enhancing an
effective teamwork culture within an organization is to encourage
employees to think of fellow workers as internal customers.
Supervisors should encourage an altruistic attitude among employees
that replaces the self-serving mentality that often exists in a
.competitive.atmosphere..The.steps supervisors can take to develop
the co-worker as internal customer attitude include arranging
inter-department meetings, encouraging personnel from different
departments to talk directly with each other, and solidifying
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inter-department relationships by motivating employees to help each
Other. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Understanding and managing informal groups.
Hussein, Raef T.
Management Decision v28 Annual, 1990, p36(6)
Managers can increase organizational productivity and
profitability by developing an understanding of informal work
groups. Informal work groups offer such benefits as companionship
and protection for members, but they also impose pressures to
conform. Several factors affect group productivity, including
resources, the compatibility of members, and individual
characteristics. Informal leaders should be able to develop norms
and allow members to achieve personal goals. Management can promote
cooperation with informal work groups by recognizing the existence
of informal groups, gathering information about the groups,
training the informal leaders, adjusting their behavior,
recognizing informal leaders, and encouraging cohesion.
(MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
New Roles in Team Leadership
Jessup, Harlan R.
Training & Development Journal v44nll PP: 79-83 Nov 1990
Self-managed work teams are small groups of coworkers who share
tasks and responsibilities for a well-defined segment of work. As
the teams demonstrate their capability and maturity, they are given
increasing responsibility for decisions that affect their work. If
work teams are to take on responsibilities and achieve results,
they must have internal structure. The best arrangement for many
teams is shared leadership with defined duties, similar to that of
club officers. Many of those who guide, support, and direct a
team's activities are people from outside of the work group. These
roles can include administrator, coach, and adviser. The
administrator makes sure the teams have adequate resources and is
responsible for tasks and authorizations not yet delegated to the
work team. The coach focuses on team development and transfers
group process skills to the team members to see that the team
matures. Advisers offer technical support. Almost everyone who
relates to the team and its members can be considered an adviser.
(ABI/INFORM)
Successful team structure defined.
Managers Magazine v65 oct, 1990, p24(l)
Teams need to be well-structured and well-managed to be
effective. The characteristics of effective teams include a strong
leader who acts as a team member while maintaining authority, a
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commitment to interdependence, a common objective, and a system of
rewards. Effective teams can improve morale, generate ideas, and
take advantage of the skills of their members.
(MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Effective nanagement of effective teams.
Weiss, Donald H.
Supervisory Management v35 Oct, 1990, plO(2)
Managers can effectively encourage teamwork by emphasizing both
the group tasks and group member relationships so that the team can
effectively accomplish the tasks and deal with interpersonal
problems. Both the managers and the team members should identify
the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
relating to the team. The SWOT analysis should include the
examination of factors that include goals, results, and synergy.
(MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
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V. TEAMWORK IN ACTION
Team Building on a Deadline
Miller, Barry W.; Phillips, Ronald c.
Training & Development Journal v40n3 PP: 54-57 Mar 1986
A review of an air quality control equipment construction
project at Ohio Edison (OE) prompted OE's project managers, the
architect/engineer, and the general contractor to decide a team-
building effort was necessary to save the project. Under this
leadership, a project status meeting finally focused on the real
problems, recognized destructive behaviors, and resolved to make
changes. Persons involved agreed on the basic tenet that a problem
with the project was everyone's problem. The focus was on tasks to
be done and problems to be resolved. Each company's positive
contributions were noted, which reemphasized that the project had
the necessary skill and talent to succeed. A team-effectiveness
strategy developed in which communication, feedback, and follow-
through were critical elements. Time was set aside for intensive
team building and problem solving. Units were online and on
schedule, and all Environmental Protection Agency completion dates
were met, with the project coming in $30 million under budget.
(ABI/INFORM)
Catch tbe Team Spirit: the Great Experiment in Team Management.
Across the Board 26:12-27+ My '89
Organizational, managerial, and stress-related issues;
experiences of some US companies; 5 articles. Includes the "Desert
Survival Problem" group decision-making exercise. (PAIS)
Innovative teams at work, (includes case study)
Anderson, Neil; Hardy, Gillian; West, Michael
Personnel Management V22 Sept, 1990, p48(5)
Human resource (HR) professionals should place a high priority
on the issue of teamwork innovation in the 1990s. Given the
increasing pace of organizational change, encouraging teamwork
innovation may be an important factor in business success and an
area in which HR can have a basic strategic impact. The common
factors present in private and public sector teamwork innovation
include vision, participative safety, and a climate for excellence.
Vision is a shared idea of a valuable team outcome. Less resistance
to change and the likelihood of innovation is directly proportional
to the levels of participative safety. Team discussion of standards
of work, methods for achieving goals, and reviews of performance
levels are indicative of a climate for excellence. A climate for
excellence results in new ideas that are reviewed and challenged in
a constructive manner. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
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Identify Problems Areas Early With a 'Risk Management Team.'
Anon
Cashflow Magazine Vol.6, No.7, Sept. 1985, P. 18,22.
A team approach can help solve complicated risk management
problems quickly. Members of the team should be assembled from
different functional areas of the organization. Employee benefits
matters are major considerations in risk management programs. The
importance of their area-gives managers an opportunity to upgrade
their status in their companies. (MANAGEMENT CONTENTS)
Team Requirements Definition: Looking for a Mouse and Finding an
Elephant
Corbin, Darrell S.
Journal of Systems Management v42n5 PP: 28-30 May 1991
Defining information system (IS) requirements no longer is
effectively accomplished by having a systems analyst interview
numerous people over a long period of time. In an alternate
approach, facilitated team sessions are using techniques such as
Joint Application Design to define system needs. Occasionally,
these methods find more than they were originally looking for - an
elephant instead of a mouse. Rockwell Hanford, a former division of
Rockwell International, determined that an information resource
management plan was needed. Teams of users were led by a skilled
facilitator to define system requirements. Several critical success
factors emerged from Rockwell's experience: 1. Team members need to
be highly valued employees. 2. The facilitator is the key to
success. 3. Meetings should be held off-site. 4. The IS staff
should be seen, not heard. (ABI/INFORM)
Training in Team Building Critical to Complex Projects
Eckerson, Wayne
Network World v7n40 PP: 23-24 Oct 1, 1990
According to a survey of network managers, the key to project
success is to give staff members specialized training in group
dynamics and team building. At McDonnell Douglas Aerospace
Information Services Co., all employees receive training in team
building and group dynamics as part of the firm's quality
improvement program. In Team Players and Teamwork, author Glenn
Parker says that effective teams contain 4 types of players: l.
contributors, 2. collaborators, 3. communicators, and 4.
challengers. Teams that lack one of these personality types will
fail to achieve maximum productivity. Consultant Patrick Springer
believes that every team also needs a strong administrator who
understands corporate goals and puts in place well-defined
objectives to achieve those goals. Many companies also think it is
important to include vendors and end users as part of the network
teams. For example, the telecommunications department of Gannett
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Co. views the vendor as an extension of its department when
introducing new systems in subsidiaries across the US. (ABI/INFORM)
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EPA HEADQUARTERS LIBRARY MANAGEMENT COLLECTION
List of Management Bibliographies
1. PUBLIC POLICY MECHANISMS: NON-REGULATORY OPTIONS FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
by Sigrid N. Smith, June 1991
EPA/IMSD-91-006
2. EFFECTIVE CONFERENCE PLANNING
by Sigrid N. Smith, March 1991
EPA/IMSD-91-002
3. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
by Mary Hoffman and Sigrid N. Smith, January 1991
EPA/IMSD-91-001
4. MANAGING A DIVERSE WORK FORCE
by Anne Twitchell, September 1990
EPA/IMSD-90-011
5. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
by Anne Twitchell, June 1990
EPA/IMSD-90-007
6. STRATEGIC PLANNING
by Anne Twitchell, March 1990
EPA/IMSD-90-005
7. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
by Anne Twitchell, December 1989
EPA/IMSD-89-009
8. LEADERSHIP: QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE
by Anne Twitchell, September 1989
EPA/IMSD-89-005
9. COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
by Anne Twitchell, June 1989
EPA/IMSD-89-003
10. EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS
by Anne Twitchell, March 1989
EPA/IMSD-89-002
11. OFFICE OF THE FUTURE: THE MANAGER'S ROLE
by Anne Twitchell, December 1988
EPA/IMSD-88-013
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12. OFFICE OF THE FUTURE: THE CHANGING ROLE OF SECRETARIES
by Mary Hoffman and Anne Twitchell, revised May 1989
13. MANAGEMENT TRANSITION
by Mary Hoffman and Anne Twitchell, September 1988
EPA/IMSD-88-007
14. MANAGING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
by Mary Hoffman, March 1988
EPA/IMSD-88-003
15. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
by Mary Hoffman, December 1987
EPA/IMSD-87-011
16. INTRAPRENEURSHIP: THE EMERGING FORCE
by Mary Hoffman, September 1987
17. SUPERVISORS AND HUMAN RESOURCES
by Mary Hoffman, June 1987
EPA/IMSD-87-0062
18. TECHNICAL EXPERT TURNED MANAGER
by Mary Hoffman, March 1987
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